Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
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Triadica sebifera
(L.) Small, Euphorbiaceae
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BIGGER PICTURES
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Present on Pacific Islands?
no
Primarily a threat at high elevations?
no
Risk assessment results:
High risk, score: 14 (Go to the risk assessment (
Pacific
))
Reject, score: 18 (Go to the risk assessment (
U.S. (Florida)
))
Other Latin names:
Sapium sebiferum
(L.) Roxb.
Common name(s):
[
more details
]
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Chinese
: wu jiu |
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English
: Chinese tallow tree, Florida aspen, candleberry tree, chicken tree, popcorn tree, tallowtree, vegetable tallow, white wax berry |
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French
: arbre à suif, boiré |
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Spanish
: árbol del sebo |
Habit:
tree
Description:
"Recognized by
leaf
blades as wide as long or nearly so, a pair of glands on upper side of juncture of petiole and blade.
Trees
to 17 m tall by 97 cm diameter, rapid-growing, often forming thickets.
Twigs
glabrous, slender, brittle; sap milky and poisonous.
Leaf
tips acuminate; leaves turning yellow to red in autumn.
Flowers
tiny, unisexual, in slender spikes to 10 cm long, male flowers toward the end, a few female flowers near the base.
Fruits
capsules, 10-18 mm across, slightly 3-lobed, the outer part splitting and falling off, leaving attached the 3 elliptical white waxy
seeds
" (Duncan & Duncan, 1988; p. 252).
Habitat/ecology:
"Wet forests and grassland, freshwater wetlands, riparian habitats. This fast growing and salt tolerant tree spreads rapidly and transforms native wetland prairies into woodland dominated by this species. Once established, it forms pure stands that exclude almost all other plants and affect wildlife by reducing food sources. Extensive stands alter nutrient cycling and the species composition of decomposers due to a rapid leaf decay. Such stands reduce fuel loads in invaded areas and prevent the spread of fires. Seedlings are able to establish in a wide range of environmental conditions including closed-canopy forests' (Weber, 2003; p. 438). "Planted as an ornamental, but easily spreading, often becoming weedy" (Duncan & Duncan, 1988; p. 252). Also planted for its oil. "Tallow tree typically grows in wetlands, swamps and bottomland forests, readily out-competing native hardwoods" (Randall & Marinelli, 1996).
Propagation:
"The tree is a prolific seed producer and seeds are mainly dispersed by birds and water. The tree suckers from roots and resprouts vigorously if damaged" (Weber, 2003; p. 438).
Native range:
China.
Presence:
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Also reported from
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Country/Terr./St.
&
Island group
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Location
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Cited status
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Cited as invasive
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Cited as cultivated
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Cited as aboriginal introduction?
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Reference
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Comments
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United States (continental except west coast)
United States (other states) |
United States (other states) |
introduced
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U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
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United States (continental except west coast)
United States (other states) |
USA (Florida) |
introduced
invasive
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Cronk, Q. C. B./Fuller, J. L. (2001)
(p. 194) |
United States (continental except west coast)
United States (other states) |
USA (Florida) |
introduced
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U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
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Comments:
Listed as a noxious weed in Florida and Louisiana (U.S.). Planting of this species is prohibited in Miami-Dade County, Florida (U.S.) (Miami-Dade County Dept. of Planning and Zoning, 2010).
Control:
Control information
from the
Bugwood Wiki
.
Physical
: Hand-pull seedlings. Cutting trees older than one year leads to root and stump suckering.
Chemical
: "Mature trees should be treated with a triclopyr herbicide applied to the base of the tree. Follow-up programmes are necessary to treat regrowth and seedlings" (Weber, 2003; p. 438).
Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute?
Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)
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This page was created on 1 JAN 1999 and was last updated on 4 JUL 2012.
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